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(N ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. I. L. VANSANT. I UAR FENDER.

No. 537,809. I Patented Apr. 16, 1895.

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WITNESSES;

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GAR FENDER.

vN0. 537,809. PatentedApr. 16, 1895.

WITNESSES:

Arm/am.-

FFTQEV ISAAC L. VANSANT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EDWARD H. JOHNSTON, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-FENDER.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,809, dated April16, 1895. Application filed May 3, 1894. Serial No. 509,967- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC L. VANSANT, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Fenders, whichimprovement is fully set forth in the following specification andaccompanying drawings.

My invention consists of a car fender formed of a frame, and netting orother suitable material forming a yielding or comparatively soft basketor cage to receive the person that may be struck.

The fender is provided with means for conveniently raising and loweringthe same, and with means for limiting the descending mo- 'tion.

The fender is also provided with a cushion which projects in advance, soas to be the part of the fender which primarily strikes the person, thusavoiding injuring the same.

The fender is furthermore supplied with a gate which is adapted to yieldor open by the contact of the person who may be struck by the fender,and then close when the person is within the cage, so'as to prevent himfrom rolling back and out of said cage.

Figure 1 represents a sideelevation of a car fender embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 representsafrontview thereof. Fig.3 represents a topview of a detached portion. Fig. 4 rep resents a partial side elevationand partial vertical section on an enlarged scale of the means employedfor adjusting the descent of the fender. Fig. 5 represents views ofportions of Fig. 4, the parts being separated.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

Referring to the drawings: A designates a portion of the body of a car,and B designates the dasher thereof, the latter being shown in dottedlines Fig. 2. To the sides of the sills G of the car are secured thebrackets D, on which is mounted the shaft E, which extends horizontallyand transversely, and has se cured to its ends, the radial arms F. Tothe lower ends of the brackets D are pivoted the braces G, whose frontends are mounted on plates H, which are connected by the rodJ with saidarms F.

K designates toggle-levers, one limb of each of which is mounted onhangers L, on the sills C, and the other limbs are mounted on the rod J.To the brackets D are, also pivoted the braces M, whose front ends areattached to the vertical rods N, which rise from-and are mounted on therod J. To the upper ends of said rods N are attached the elastic cords Pwhich are secured to the brackets Q, the latter being fastened to rodsR, fixed to the car in front of thedasher B, the upper ends of said rodsbeing connected by the cross bar S, which is fastened to the dasherbythe eye T.

Netting U is connected with the toggle-levers K, at the rear, bottom andsides thereof, forming the cage V, said netting being extended upwardlyfrom the sides thereof as at W, and secured to the cords .P. Mounted onthe lower ends of the plates H, are rollers X, and above and in front ofthe same is a transversely-extending cushion Y, which constitutes theadvance object of the fender that may strike a person in the path of thesame.

The rollers X are mounted on the transverse rod K, which latter isconnected with the plates H.

Z designates a gate which is mounted on the rod J, and held in verticalposition by means of springs A, which are secured to said rod and gate,said gate in the present case being formed of a frame with nettingattached thereto, and being so disposed that after a person is struck bythe cushion Y, he may fall against the gate Z, and thus force the samebackward, permitting the person to fall into the cage V.

In order to raise and lower the fender, there is keyed or otherwisesecured to the shaft E, the worm wheel B, with which meshes the worm O,the latter being connected with a vertical rod D, whose upper end isprovided with a crank or other suitable handle E, said rod passingthrough the eye T. On the shaft E are springs F, which are attached tosaid shaft by means of the collar G, or other suitable means, and alsoto the brackets D or other part of the body of the car, as at H, seeFig. 3, the same serving to balance the weight of the fender both inlowering and raising the same, whereby the fender may descend withoutabruptness, and be assisted in its elevation.

In order to limit thedescent of the fender, the shaft E has projectingfrom its periphery the shoulder J, which is adapted to abut against theshoulder K, which is formed at the termination of the circular recessesL in the end of the adjusting arms h it being noticed in Fig. 4, thatthe shaft E enters said ends of the arms M, and the projection orshoulder J is adapted to play in the recess L.

The arms M are loosely fitted on said shaft E, and have threadedopenings N to receive the screws P, whose points bear against the rearportions of the brackets D or any proper portion of the sills or floorof the car, it being evident that by turning said arms M, the

shoulder K may be placed higher or lower,

as the case may be, and thus the shaft E may be turned to a greater orless extent, whereby the degree of descent of the radial arms F,

and consequently of the fendermay be adjusted.

It will be seen that when the rod D is operated by the handle E, so thatthe shaft E is turned, and the arms F are lowered, whereby the connectedparts of the fender follow said arms, thus placing the fender inoperative position, as shown in Fig. l, the parts of the same beingsufficiently elastic or springy in their nature, so that while thefender hangs firmly it is sufficiently yielding in its nature to avoidactual rigidity.

When a person is struck, he will receive the blow of the cushion Y,which is elastic in its nature, as has been stated, so as not to beseriously injured, and he may fall toward the fender and strike the gateZ, which will yield 5 and allow him to enter the cage V, said gate thenreturning to its normal position, and preventing the person from rollingout at the front of the fender, the netting or soft nature of the cagepreventing the person from being 40 injured, and its location being suchthat a person will be prevented from striking the body of the car.

Securedin front of the dasher-by suitable ropes or other means, to thebrackets Q, and 5 side nettings W, is a piece of vertically-arrangednetting Q, which prevents a person when struck from being forced againstsaid dasher, the lower end of said netting Q terminating above the cageV, so as not to inter- 5o fere with the person being directed into thecage V. As the cords P are elastic, should the person strike the same,he will notbe seriously injured by the same.

When the fender is not required for use, say when the car enters a depotor station, or when the fender is on the rear of a car, the rod D isrotated so as to properly turn the shaft E, so that the radial arms Fare raised, and thus the parts of the fender are folded in front abovethe dasher and others just be.-

low the sills, the same being in compact form and ready to be unfoldedor opened and placed in operative position.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is a 1. A car fender formed of a frame, theradial arms F carrying the same, the toggle levers K, and the braces Mwhich are mounted on the bearings of said arms, and pivotally connectedwith said frame, substantially as described.

2. A car fender having a pivotal frame, the swinging plates I-I mountedon said frame, the rollers or wheels X on said plates, and a brace whichis pivotally connected with the bearings D and with said plates,substantially as described. 1

3. A car fender formed of a frame, a rotating shaft, radial arms securedto said shaft and frame, and toggle-levers pivotally connected with saidframe, and provided with means forconnection with a car, substantiallyas described.

4:. A car fender having a frame with netting thereon, said frameconsisting of a shaft, radial arms secured to said shaft, a cross rodattached to the lower end of said arms, toggle levers secured tohearings on the car and to said cross rod, vertical rods secured to saidcross rod, elastic cords secured to said vertical rods, and tosuitableconnections on the car, said parts being combined substantially asdescribed.

5. A car fender having a frame, connected with an oscillating shaft, theswinging plates H pivoted to across bar on said frame, the rollers orwheels X mounted on said plates, and the brace rods G which arepivotally connected with the bearings of the shaft of said frame andwith said plates I-I, substantially as described.

6. A car fender having a frame with an oscillatin g horizontal shaft, avertical rod suitably journaled, meshing gearing on said shaft and rods,springs connected with said shaft and its bearings, said parts beingcombined substantially as described.

7. A car fender having a frame with a shaft provided with projectingshoulder J, an adjusting arm having a recess L, with a shoulder Kat itstermination said shaft and shoulder being in said recess, and an.adjusting screw for securing said arm to a suitable support, said partsbeing combined substantially as described.

8. A car fender formed of the toggle-levers K, the radial arm F which isconnected with one of the limbs of said lever, the other limb thereof ispivotally attached to a car, the shaft E which is mounted in hearings onthe car, and has the arm F secured to it, the brace M pivoted to abracket on said shaft, and the Y vertical parts of the frame, theswinging gate N mounted on said frame, the roller-carrying plates whichoscillate on the frame, and the braces G which are mounted on thebearings of the shaft E, and pivotally connected with said plates,substantially as described.

ISAAC L. VANSANT.

WVitnesses:

J OHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, A. P. JENNINGS.

